


live through pictures

by marlegan



Category: A.C.E (Beat Interactive Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, F/F, F/M, Gender-Neutral Pronouns, I'm very sorry, M/M, Other, Slow Burn, ah yes i keep forgetting to say this, based on their high school video series, but i kept the reader's sexual orientation ambiguous, i'm going to use 'yuchan' and 'sehyoon', really really short chapters, the reader is a quirky artist, there'll be slash or fem!slash hints depending on how you take things, this might veer into ooc territory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-10-29
Updated: 2018-07-04
Packaged: 2019-01-26 03:10:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 6,606
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12547504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marlegan/pseuds/marlegan
Summary: You didn't have the normal eye for aesthetic. But you still knew when someone looked good.It just so happened that that someone was called 'Kang Yuchan'.Not that you minded. Oh no, far from it in fact.





	1. countdown from three

**Author's Note:**

> i'm in that point in my life where nothing makes sense but chan's smile keeps me awake.
> 
> this started off as writing practice but plot urged me to write more. they're like tiny interconnected snippets that make a bigger picture. my schedule is terrible, but i'll try my best to update at least once a week!
> 
> title taken from 'paper hearts' by tori kelly.

 Your art was a mess.

Not literally. But your style looked like you mashed two concepts in juxtaposition, threw in a random noun, and picked the colours blindfolded.

You thought they were masterpieces.

Your art teacher said otherwise.

With a deep frown, you trudged through the hallways. Your teacher's words resonated in your head. Black and white sketch. Face portrait. Realism. It was everything you went against.

This assignment was going to be hard.

And the first problem: finding a model.

All of your friends were either "too busy" or refused to sit still for so long. ...Or they were dubious in your ability to draw them in their likeliness. You didn't deny it.

"I could ask a stranger," you mumbled. Not weird at all. Maybe for the stranger. You were used to getting weird stares, with your art and personality.

You nodded. Problem solved.

Then you glanced out the window.

You froze.

From your angle, the soccer field was in clear view, players beginning to stretch and warm up for practice. It was a common sight to see, soccer season and all, though you've never really _looked_. Your head was forever in a sketchbook—athletics wasn't your cup of tea.

But there, standing to the side and juggling the ball with solid kick ups, was the perfect specimen.

A bright smile adorned his face while his eyes glinted with determination. It was the perfect combination of fun and serious. Work and play. Movement and still life.

You grinned.

Model spotted.


	2. expect the unexpected

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for the support! this is my first a.c.e fanfic and i wasn't expecting so many people to read it!
> 
> after this week, i think i'll get into the rhythm of updating on a specific day; my daily two hour bus rides have some merit to them, i suppose.
> 
> enjoy!

You reached the field in record time, as fast as you could with an out of shape body and a heavy bag. You weren't even running. Just  fast walked. You made it under three minutes.

And you were already heaving.

Oh, the things you do for art.

Speaking of...

You snapped your head around. He wasn't in the spot he was before. In fact, he wasn't even here. Where'd he go?

Frowning, you approached his friend. When he noticed you, he looked curious.

"Hi," you said.  "This might be a weird question considering we've only met, but the guy from earlier—the one you were talking to—where did he go?"

Curiosity turned apprehensive. "Why do you want to know?"

"I was going to ask his him a question but he left before I could. It's important," you added, after his eyebrows furrow. "For school."

"I...see?" But he shook his head. "He's not here anymore. Probably  went home."

Drats.

You waved your hand. That was hardly a setback. "I can always ask him tomorrow. Thanks."

"No problem."

You turned around, froze, then turned to him again. "Right," you started, "one last thing."

"Yep?"

"Who's homeroom is he in?"

He stared at you. "Again, I don't know."

"What? But aren't you guys friends?"

"Um," he said, "no. The ball rolled by him and he asked if he could dribble it. I let him."

Well shoot. Now _this_ was a setback.

Then you shrugged. "S'alright. I'll find him again. Eventually."


	3. first contact

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~ooc at it's finest~~
> 
> legit though, i'm sorry about the characterization; sarcasm keeps bleeding into my writing. the hair styles also date back to their pre-debut dance practices, so chan's pure blond.
> 
> enjoy!

Eventually, you repeated to yourself as you made your way to the last classroom in the hall.

Of course, that was assuming a) his appearance didn't change overnight, b) he didn't switch cities in the last seventeen or so hours since you saw him, and c) he was already in school.

But you'll think of something. Maybe.

You opened the door, peeking in to scan the room. One sweep, two sweep. ...Nope. He wasn't here either. Onto the third year classes you go.

"Hey." You looked to the side. A boy was staring at you. "You need something?" he asked.

"Someone," you clarified. "But I don't know their name."

He shrugged. "That's tough."

"Right?"  You studied him. "Say, you don't happen to know anyone with blond hair, do you?"

He pointed to himself. "Is mine yellow enough?"

"No. You're brunet. It's like straw. Straight. Kinda messy if you look at it from an angle."

"That fits a lot of people, you know."

"Yeah. But oh! He has a sunny smile. And he's good at soccer." Plus, he was taller than the soccer player from yesterday, so... "About yay tall? Super  skinny too, but not like, toothpick size or anything."

"Ahhh...ah? Wait. Is he a portable battery? Looks real excitable? A human puppy?"

Your snap turned into a finger gun. " _Yes_."

He nodded. "Then I know who you're talking about."

"You are a lifesaver." Excited, you bounded over to his desk. "You know where I can find him?"

"He's in this class. He's not here yet but—" Then his eyes slid behind you. "—Never mind. Now he is."

And there, by the door frame, he was.

Inspiration hit you like a truck. You could imagine it: a painting of an anthropomorphic sun's sudden appearance amongst tired students. Life in the presence of devoid emotion. Optimism overcoming resignation. Hope in a valley of darkness.

You'd call it 'Going to Class.'

He looked at the boy, you, then back at the boy. And though his eyes held an unsaid question, he chirped, "Good morning! How are you?"

Your new friend raised his hand in greeting. "Yo. Doing good."

You whispered, "Quick, what's his name?"

"Kang Yuchan," he whispered back.

"Kang Yuchan!" you repeated. His gaze slid to you. "I have a proposition to make! An offer—I'm hoping—you won't refuse!"

If this stranger (a.k.a. you) was giving him strange vibes, he didn't seem to care. He cocked his head and asked, "Do we know each other?"

"No!"

His friend's lips twitched.

Yuchan grinned. "Okay. What is it?"

"I saw you yesterday and your aura drew me in. It was wonderful, like love at first sight."

His eyes widened.

"No, not like that. Get your head out of the gutter." His friend doubled over his desk, hand over his mouth. You could still hear his snickers. "I mean as art. Art! As a muse. Muse! As the model! Of! My dreams!"

"Eh? Am I famous? When did I get a fan club?" Yuchan looked amused. "I'm flattered, thank you! It's like you asked me for my autograph."

You nodded. "I'm a big fan of your face."

"Aw, that's nice of you to say. I think you look great yourself." He cocked his head. "So what would you make me do?"

"Not much. I can just, float around you during lunch time or something. I need to sketch you in your natural habitat."

"Is this for nature show?" he joked. "But sure! I don't mind. I think it'll be fun. As long as show me after you finish, okay?"

"Aye, aye."

"By the way," he said, "could I have the name of my artist?"

"It's [L/N] [Y/N]." You bowed low. "Thank you for agreeing."

"Nice to meet you, [L/N] [Y/N]-ssi. I'm Kang Yuchan." And that smile of his was making you melt. "But I guess you already know."


	4. when snark hits the mark

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *whispers* it'll start picking up in the next chapter!
> 
> hope you enjoy :)

Before you left, you found out his friend's name was Kim Byeongkwan. When you apologized for bugging him, he waved you off.

"Oh please," he had said. "That was entertainment at its finest."

He was definitely your new best friend.

Well, your new best friend from around the bend. You had your own in your homeroom.

And she hounded you the moment you stepped in.

"[Y/N]!" Hwang Seoyeon stood in front of you, as you opened up your artbook and started sketching an idea. You were serious about 'Going to Class.' She waved her phone in your face. "What are these texts about?"

You glanced at the messages. All of them, yours.

'I grow restless by the passing minute, wondering when I will see him again.'  
'His smile, his face... My heart clenches at the memories."  
'It makes the soul weary! Silence heightened! Colours dull!'  
'Oh woe, oh woe, why must tomorrow take forever?'

You looked at her. "I was in distress."

"I can see that." She glared. "But you gave me no context."

"You didn't need it."

She rolled her eyes. "Because I don't need context for anything _you_ say. Now spill, before I take this the wrong way and start writing my wedding speech."

"I saw a boy yesterday."

"And?"

"I asked if he could be my model."

"For your art assignment?" You nodded. Seoyeon let out a breath. "Thank goodness. I thought we were going to have another intervention."

You raised your hands. "Hey, it's not my fault the last girl misunderstood me."

"It was so your fault." Clearing her throat, she tried to mimic your voice: "'Please, could I have you by my side? Even if for a short while? I need you!' Listen to yourself. Anyone would think that was a confession."

"They just don't understand art," you scoffed.

"No. They don't understand you."

"But Seoyeon," you said, "I _am_ art."

"Oh my god. You're impossible." She rubbed the bridge of her nose. Then she frowned. "Wait, who did you say your model was again?"

"I didn't. But his name is Kang Yuchan. Did you know he was in our grade? I didn't."

"Kang Yuchan-ssi?" She blinked. "Oh. Good."

You blinked back. "You know him?"

"Yeah. He's nice." She wasn't snappy for once. That was a first. "I guess I'll trust him to take care of you."

You were about to retort when your teacher came in. Seoyeon gave you one last glance, mouth pursed as if daring you to ask the question.

So you did. "You don't trust me to take care of myself?"

She smiled. "Absolutely not."

You stuck your tongue out as she went to her seat.


	5. planning a plan of planned proportions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i think i'll update every wednesday? it's tentative schedule, but i'll make it work somehow :)
> 
> thank you for reading!

"So," Seoyeon said, "what are you going to do now?"

The lunch bell rang a few minutes ago, students filing out of the classroom for their break. You were one of the stragglers, having a conversation with Seoyeon as the two of you packed up your things.

"Kang Yuchan-watching," you said.

"Correction: how are you going to do that?"

You scratched your cheek. "Um, like any other kind of animal watching?"

She stared at you. "You don't have a plan."

"I have _one_ plan," you said. "But you won't like it."

She snorted. "Humour me. What is it?"

You pointed at her. "You'll scout out his lunch spot and tell me—" You pointed to yourself. "—where it is."

"Don't have to," she said. "I already know."

You sighed. "I figured as—wait what? When? Why? How?!"

Seoyeon shrugged. "I ran into them once while you were on an 'artspiration binge.' I think it was last month? We talked for a while. It was nothing special."

"And you never _told_ me?"

"You wouldn't have cared."

...That's true.

But still.

You changed the subject. "Who's 'them?'"

"He and his friends."

You cocked your head. You'd guess Kim Byeongkwan was there. Maybe. Friends implied plural, but of course you'd expected your sunshine muse to have a lot of buddies. "So where do they eat?"

"The courtyard, by the west wall."

"Why are you readily telling me everything I need to know?"

"Because," she said, "I want to see this crash and burn."

"Pfft. At least bring a fire extinguisher. I don't want you going to jail for suspected arson." You slung your bag onto your shoulder as the two of you went out the door. "Want to go people-watching together?"

"You can people-watch yourself. I'm eating my lunch."

You beamed. "But you're coming with me, aren't you?"

She smirked. "Who else has the fire extinguisher?"


	6. long distance relationship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ~~nope, i tried for wednesdays. didn't work out. with finals season coming up, my schedule is tba~~
> 
> thank you so much for reading! i always get happy seeing the hit count rise :)

You stared at the tree in front of you and asked, "Do you think I should climb this?"

" _No_." Seoyeon pat the grass beside her. She was already eating her lunch. "Sit down. You'll see him better from here."

"But if he notices me—"

"I'll tell him to get lost."

You pouted. "That's not nice. What if you make him sad?"

"You," she said, "are a problem child. Sit. Don't make me repeat myself."

Sighing, you sat beside Seoyeon. You ruffled through your bag before taking out your lunch and sketchbook. "I still think I should have worn a disguise," you muttered. "I feel vulnerable like this."

"And I told you, you'll stand out more."

You sighed again. "I know. But I don't like it when you're right."

You cracked the book open and flipped to a blank page. From your angle, you'd catch him in a 3/4 profile. You supposed that was fine; it was the best compromise from side view and eye-to-eye.

The assignment's instructions repeated in your head: draw a black and white realistic portrait of someone you admire. What did you admire about Yuchan?

Easy.

On the top of the page, you scribbled 'cheerful energy.'

Then you paused. Maybe not so easy. There was more to it than that.

You made another bullet point.

'Kind attitude.'

...No. that didn't feel right either.

'Easy-going personality.'

Again.

'Charismatic presence.'

Again.

You bit your lip before writing: 'handsome smile.'

There. It encompassed everything and more.

As you looked over, he was already staring at you. Taken aback, you swiped across your throat, telling him to cut it out. His eyes softened, bright and sweet. Then he turned away and pretended you weren't there.

Pleased, you began your sketch.

"Come on, [Y/N]," you muttered to yourself, "do his jawline justice."

This felt like front row seats in a fashion show—and you were going to stay for as long as you wanted.


	7. retrospection

Everything looked good.

But that was the problem. Nothing looked great. They were the minimum standard at best—fine for your teacher but not for you.

You crossed your arms, studying the sketches on your bedroom desk. The clock ticked past eleven. You'd been at this since eight. Your pencil was twenty percent shorter than it was when you started. But you couldn't sleep. Not when nil, nada, none of them were what you wanted.

With pursed lips, you shuffled them all into one pile.

Then you ripped.


	8. back to back, face to face

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> double update because the last one is short ~~and i didn't update last week~~
> 
> enjoy! :)

You watched as Yuchan stuffed some rice into his mouth. Seoyeon gave up forcing you to bring your food outside, so you propped your head on your hand and stared. Creepy not creepy. This was an art in itself.

Unlike yesterday, he hadn't glance in your direction. Must've taken your 'threat' in earnest. How nice of him.

Instead, one of his friends kept looking at you.

It wasn't Byeongkwan—he gave you a discrete wave at the start of lunch and never looked back—but there were three others you didn't know. Recognized, yes. You realized they were seniors. Past that, names were a blank.

Also, Byeongkwan's discrete wave wasn't discrete at all. It was the reason why you caught the other guy's attention in the first place.

When he caught you for the third time (not that you ever looked away), you said, "Day two of Kang Yuchan watching: I believe we are busted."

Seoyeon frowned. "What do you mean?"

"One of the seniors keeps looking at us. He's suspicious of our activity."

"If you ate," she pointed out, "you'd look normal."

"But I need to know what the problem is!" You broke contact with them for the first time since lunch started. "None of the sketches looked half-right! I don't know why!"

She thought for a moment, then snapped her fingers. "Think of it this way: this is due in, what, three weeks?"

"Two and a half."

"Two and a half. Okay. You spent the first day drawing him to no satisfaction. You're spending the second day watching him, still to no satisfaction. Do you know what happened in both days?"

"...I was figuring out how to finish my assignment?"

"Bzzt. We were at lunch. Sitting. In other words, not moving. You hate non-movement. What you need is a change in scenery. Something active to get your blood pumping, or something."

You gaped. "Hwang Seoyeon, you are a genius."

She smirked. "Someone has to be the brains between us."

Your lips pressed into a frown. "But that means..."

"And? You'd rather stay like this and submit a drawing you don't like?" You shook your head. "Thought so. Get over yourself and make a move."

You were still wary. "Back me up?"

"I'll step in if you make a mess." She waved her hand. "But don't worry too much. You'll be fine."

So you took a deep breath, stood, and marched straight up to the group. Most were in varied states of surprise. Yuchan gave an open wave. The senior who kept staring at you rose an eyebrow, as if they knew what you were about to do.

Encouragement at its finest.

"Kang Yuchan," you said.

"Yeah?" he answered. "What's up? How are you doing? Is everything going okay?"

You shook your head. What a chatterbox. Adorable nonetheless. "Yeah, but no. Lunch isn't enough. I want to see you more often." Byeongkwan put a fist in his mouth. "Can we meet after school?"

"Sure! Of course! S'long as you don't follow me home, right?" He thought. "Or, well, follow me home without my _permission_."

"So it's a date?"

You could hear Seoyeon shout behind you. "Take that platonically!"

He grinned. "I love platonic get togethers."

You grinned back. "Only if you promise I get to stay still while you move around," you said.

"Deal." He was excited. Then he said to his friends, "Hey, hey, we should shuffle over! Make some room for two. [Y/N], you should sit with us." He nodded at the tree. "You _and_ your friend."

You looked back at Seoyeon.

She gave you the thumbs up.

"...Well then." You sat next him. Your knees touched but you didn't move away. Neither did he. "Don't mind if I do."


	9. an idiot's guide to exposition

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you so much for being patient! it's been a while since i updated this, but i swear i'll finish this no matter how long it takes (even with my awful scheduling, haha). rest assured that i won't abandon this fic
> 
> expect a couple of chapters this week! i've written a lot and am currently editing them to flow smoother :)
> 
> enjoy!

You learned three important things during the lunch break. The first was the names of the seniors.

The oldest—and the one that kept giving you the side-eye—was Lee Donghun. Then there was Kim Sehyoon, quiet and listening and awkwardly polite. The last was Park Junhee.

" _Prince_ Junhee," you had corrected. "I'd feel bad if I didn't address you with your proper title." You were so in awe as you told him he had the most charming smile you'd ever seen. "Second to Kang Yuchan's, of course, but I think you're a very close second."

To that, he smiled wider.

Second, you decided you liked them. And you liked them a lot. Even Seoyeon, ice queen extraordinaire, couldn't hide a smile in their company. They were friendly, overly so, and you could tell they were pretty close to one another. Almost like a family! It was cute.

You made a mental tree: if Byeongkwan and Yuchan were the rowdy children, then Junhee was the fun-loving dad, Donghun was the overprotective mom, and Sehyoon was the shy but quirky cousin that went  _wild_ at parties.

Maybe.

You figured he looked the type. It was always the quiet ones, you know?

The third thing you learned was that Yuchan's knee was undeniably warm. And when he turned to you and said he'd come find you after school, your cheeks had hurt from all your smiling.

Now, you were in class, taking biology notes and doodling to the side. You drew a sketchy plant that said "chloroplasts help feed me!" It was a smart way of learning photosynthesis, if you had to say so yourself.

But every once in a while, your mind wandered back to Yuchan. Your head was filled with ideas you couldn't put on paper—not because you couldn't draw them, quite the opposite, but because...

They weren't what you wanted.

And you didn't know why.

You looked at your plant picture, then at the sun you drew above it. It had a speech bubble that said "my energy is your energy!" Tilting your head, you hesitated. But you eventually added another: "I'll see you after class!"

Then, after a moment's thought, you drew a person with smiley face.

You labelled it 'me.'


	10. let me (not) tell you a secret

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, guys! thank you so much for the support!! i appreciate every single comment, kudo, and hit :D
> 
> this is the second chapter of the week; i'll have a third one up by saturday before i return to my once-a-week updating schedule. i hope you all like it!
> 
> enjoy!

The moment the bell rang, you said a hasty goodbye to Seoyeon and hurried through the hallways. Or, at least, you hurried as fast as your teacher would allow you.

(Yes, you were excited to see Yuchan. But that didn't mean you were going to break school policy for some guy you met two days ago.)

If you had to say so yourself, you still made it to his classroom in record time. Hopefully, no one left yet. Your breathing spiked as you peeked through the window, and you sighed in relief as you saw Byeongkwan stuff papers into his bag.

Goodness, you'd done more voluntary running in the last few days than you did in all of last month. What were you now? An artist-athlete?

...Though thinking about it, it was a cool hybrid. You wouldn't be, like, a pro bobsleigher or something. But—racewalking, maybe? Yeah, racewalking. That sounded like something you'd try.

You could imagine the headlines: [L/N] [Y/N] winning gold in the next Summer Olympics. In your dedication speech, you'd say, "I'd like to thank Kang Yuchan for making me run all over the place for an art assignment. Without him, I wouldn't be where I am now."

You knocked on the glass to catch Byeongkwan's attention. When he spotted you, he grinned and waved before calling someone over his shoulder. Lo and behold, it was the David to your Michaelangelo: your one and only muse.

"Chan!" he said. "The paparazzi's here!" Then he gave you an exaggerated wink. You tilted your head, curious, but he turned back to Yuchan, cupped the side of his mouth, and said something you couldn't hear.

Back to you, he flashed a thumbs up.

'What was that?' you mouthed at him.

He winked again.

Maybe he didn't catch what you meant. 'What,' you articulated, emphasizing each letter, 'did you say to him?'

He saluted.

'...Do you even understand what I'm saying?'

He made two peace signs.

You smiled and took a deep breath. 'Okay, so, I'll admit it really  _was_  me that broke Seoyeon's keychain in third grade and I felt so guilty about it because it was her favourite but I was also scared that she'd hate me forever so I bought her a new one and hid it in her desk and pretended it wasn't from me—'

"Are we filming a silent movie?"

You glanced at the door, brightening as Yuchan made his way to stand beside you. "Nope. But would Byeongkwan do it if I ask?"

"Mm," he sang, "maybe."

Byeongkwan dabbed.

Yuchan cupped his mouth. Almost offended, you tried to get in front of him. But he placed his hands on the glass. Whatever he said—mouthed, really—made Byeongkwan place a hand over his chest in mock hurt before he nodded and snickered.

You huffed. "Not you too. I'll have you know it's bad manners to tell someone a secret in front of someone else."

Yuchan held onto your shoulders and began pushing you forward. Caught off-guard, your heels dragged across the floor. You barely noticed him wave his class goodbye. "But if I tell you," he said, "it wouldn't be a secret anymore."

"So you'll never tell me?"

He paused. "Okay, what I meant was: it wouldn't be a surprise."

Lips pursed, you nodded. "I like surprises more than secrets." Still, you were a bit sour.

"Aw, cheer up! I'm sure you'll like it! I promise you'll know eventually. But until then, no asking about it, okay?"

Putting a finger on his lips, he winked. And like magic, you grinned like an idiot.

"Okay," you said. "I'll trust you not to break my heart."


	11. you can talk the talk...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> goodness, i just had a long day at school (on a saturday! fun!)
> 
> this will be the last update of the week! which technically counts because it's still saturday in my timezone. but as a reminder, updates will return to being once a week after this :)
> 
> enjoy!

Staring at the red stop light made you remember something. You turned to Yuchan. "You haven't told me where we're going."

"Because that's the surprise."

"Really?" That got you all giddy. Then you deflated. "But that makes me want to guess where it is."

He studied you for a moment before raising his hand. "I swear to neither confirm or deny anything so [L/N] [Y/N] can guess as many guesses as guessably possible."

"Are you sure?" He nodded. You couldn't help but smile. "Let's see then..." Adjusting your imaginary hat, you said in the deepest voice you could muster, "The arcade has a lot of games where you have to move, so that would be one of the more obvious choices." You shot him a look. "But if it was that predictable, then there'd be no point in keeping it a secret."

Yuchan laughed.

"Therefore, with the help of my astute detective and mass guessing skills, I conclude that we are going to—drum roll please—a roller skating park!"

"Do you know how to skate?" he asked.

"That's beside the point." You wagged a finger. "And it doesn't matter if you're the only one moving."

He thought for a moment. "Then let's go skating next time."

Next time? You did a double take. "What do you mean?"

"Don't you think it'll be fun?" And when he looked at you, you felt your stomach churn. It was a warm feeling—like soap bubbles on a summer afternoon. Bubbly. That was the word. "We  _ _are__  going to have more of these, right? 'Platonic get togethers'?"

For a moment, you didn't realize he said something. "Sorry? I mean, o-oh! Yeah, that'd be great." You clutched your midsection and hoped it wasn't indigestion. "I think I'd enjoy being anywhere, to be honest. As long as I'm with you."

He looked amused. "You really are smooth. But that's okay! I understand. Next time, I'll come get you from your class, okay?"

"Next time, I'll say something to Seoyeon and you won't know what we're talking about."

"That's fair." He stopped to stare at the other side of the road. "Voila! There it is!"

You pointed at the convenience store and blinked. "There?"

He shook his head. Holding your hand, he gently moved it to the side. His fingers were warm, you noticed. Warmer than his knees had been.

"No," he said, " _there_." You were pointing at the building next door. He grinned. "It doesn't look like much from the outside, but once you're in it's hard to get out."

Dropping your hand, he checked his left and right. "And we're all clear! Come on now, let's hurry. Be careful of incoming cars."

As you followed, listening to him talk about how odd it was for the streets to be empty during this time of day, you brought your knuckles to your lips and felt the last of Yuchan's warmth behind your smile.


	12. waiting in slow motion

The first thing you noticed were the cobwebs. You turned to Yuchan and narrowed your eyes.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly. "The hallway doesn't get cleaned often."

"Okay, but...spiders?"

"It's not infested, I swear! Donghun-hyung kills them, while Sehyoon-hyung picks them up and puts them outside."

"I meant to ask if none of you were afraid of arachnids, but I will admit my question was vague and easy for misinterpretation." You studied the stairs. The lights were out, you noticed, and you could barely make out what was below you. "The basement looks kinda shady."

"Yeah. But that's where we're going."

"Seriously?" He nodded. You frowned. "If anything happens, I'm calling the police."

"What? Don't worry! We have brooms. I'll sweep up the spiders if you don't like them."

"I meant—you know what? Never mind." Taking a brave step, you went down. The stairs were rickety and creaked under your weight. Didn't help that your bag weighed who-knows-how-many-kilograms. Maybe Seoyeon was right; you were going to get arthritis at an early age.

Standing at the bottom, you watched Yuchan open the basement door. Then he smiled, bowed, and swept his arm. "After you."

"Thank you, kind sir."

As you stepped inside, he turned on the lights. Your eyes swept through, widening before you hit a fist on your palm. "Oh, so it _wasn't_ a torture chamber."

"A—sorry?"

You shook your head. "I won't say I'm a good writer, but if I had to make an article about the horrendous monstrosities that were possibly behind this door, I'd do it! Journalist or not!"

He chuckled. "I think the worst we have is a fork. Is that okay?"

You gasped. "You stab people with forks?"

"Shhh, no one's supposed to know that."

As the two of you placed your bags at a corner, you took the time to study the room. It was big, with scratched-up wooden boards spanning across a wide surface. On one of the sides, there was a sink and a fridge. On the other was a couch.

But what interested you the most was the room-wide mirror.

That, or the fact that Yuchan started stretching.

"So," you said, "we're here now. What is this place?"

"A dance studio." Yuchan paused mid-lunge. "Well, it's actually an empty room that the nice landlady upstairs lets us borrow. But we use it to dance, so..."

You blinked. "You can dance?"

"Mm hm! And so can my friends. It's just dance covers for now, but we'd love to make our own choreographies one day."

"That. Is  _super_ cool." Giddy, your head began to spin. Dancing? That was an art by itself! All the fluidity and proportions, power and finesse... "Kang Yuchan, you are the most perfect human being I have ever met."

"Thanks. I think you're pretty perfect yourself." Sitting on the floor, he reached for his toes. "When the others get here, we'll show you one of our routines."

"Yes please!" You straightened, turning to your stuff. "Then I should get my supplies ready. Time waits for no one, after all."

"Hm? Ah, don't mind that. Take your time. Byeongkwan promised me he'd delay everyone."

...Delay?

Your eyes widened, sketchbook crinkling under your grip as you muttered, "So that's what you and Byeongkwan were up to." The warm feeling in your stomach returned.

Sliding down to the ground, you cracked open to a blank page and began to draw, stealing glances at Yuchan every once in a while.

And after a moment's thought, you decided you wouldn't mind if they never came at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> to be honest, one of my favourite a.c.e videos is the one where they're just _stretching_ because it's so mundane
> 
> thanks for reading!


	13. only 90s kids won't remember

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i have about two weeks before my next school semester starts (what is free time), so i'll do my best to power through a ton of chapters for this!
> 
> double update because this chapter ends in an awkward place, and because there'll be a short time skip after the next chapter.
> 
> enjoy!

But, like all good things, your alone time ended as the studio doors flung open.

"Excuse me! But I heard someone saying they missed us, so we rushed here as soon as possible!"

You laughed at Byeongkwan's entrance. "Gee thanks," you joked. "But I said that thirty minutes ago."

"There was traffic," Sehyoon said quietly. When your lips twitched into a smile at his joke (or at least, you thought it was a joke; he said it with such a serious face that your sarcasm detector couldn't pick anything up), he smiled back.

"Hi! Hello!" Yuchan rushed towards them, helping set the grocery bags on the floor. Peeking inside, all you saw were snacks. You had to wonder if they were going to finish everything by themselves. "Ah! You got the chips I like!"

You couldn't help but tease them. "Did you get anything for me?"

"We didn't know what you wanted," Junhee admitted, "so we got you a few options."

He gave you one of the bags. You placed a hand over your heart and gasped. "What? Really? I was kidding! You didn't have to!"

"Don't feel too guilty about it," Donghun shouted from the opposite side of the room. He was holding a few CDs. "It's paid straight out from Yuchan's allowance."

Yuchan turned to Donghun. "It is?"

"Yeah."

He turned to Junhee. "It is?"

Junhee shrugged.

You giggled.

As they settled into the room, you took your place at the corner, back leaning against the wall-wide mirror. You watched as they stretched—again, you didn't mind if this was all they did for the entire time—popped something into the radio, and got into position.

The CD whirled.

You were excited.

Then, you covered your mouth as a familiar song echoed throughout the room. Your eyes watered, your body trembled, your shoulders shook, you burst out into incredulous laughter.

They were dancing to H.O.T's __C__ _ _andy__.

Keeping your eyes on Yuchan as he danced, you think you busted a gut when the rap line came.

Gosh, they were such dorks.


	14. :D

By the end of the day, you had done two things: a) sketch Yuchan and b) burn off some calories. You didn't know it was possible to cry over H.O.T's choreography, face red from all the laughing, but hey, you learned new things every day.

They were resting on the floor after their last song. You were drawing a picture, of them wearing shirts that said 'old school—still cool.'

Though cool was an understatement.

"You know," you said, as they breathed like dying orcas, "you guys were awesome."

Byeongkwan managed to raise his arm high enough to send you a thumbs up.

"So sharp! So in sync!" Your eyes sparkled as you began to rant. "How is that even possible? It's like someone copy-and-pasted five clones! Or you have a soul bond that causes you to mirror each other! Or this is magic's doing! Or this isn't real because I'm dreaming!"

Donghun smacked Junhee's head, who yelped and glared at his friend.

"Nope," Donghun said, "my hand stings. This is real."

You let out a silent scream. " _It's real?!_ "

"I take it you liked it?" Yuchan asked.

"Like it? I _loved_ it!" You rushed over to his side, arms motioning all over the place as you tried to explain your amazement. "You went woosh! And then wahhh! And then cha-cha-cha-cha-cha-BAM and I couldn't keep my eyes off of anyone—let alone __you__ —and I'm so happy you took me here because this just might have been the best day of my life."

"Were we that good?"

You nodded vigorously.

He beamed. "Great! Because we've decided to let you tag along whenever we have practice."

If you hadn't adored this boy by now, this would have been enough to tip you over to his fan club. "Kang Yuchan, the love of my life, the brightest sun who starts my mornings, I would give you a hug but you're all sweaty so I'll settle for a high five if that's alright with you."

He raised up both of his hands. As you bumped your palms against his, short and feather light, you still got the warmest tingles.

Next time, you didn't care if he was sweaty; you were going to dive right into a hug.

"It's getting late," he told you, checking the time by the studio clock. "You should go before it gets too dark." Then he brightened up. "Or maybe I should walk you home!"

"Or maybe you should go home yourself because your parents told you if you were late one more time this month you'd be grounded," Byeongkwan interrupted.

Yuchan froze. "Oh. You're right." He frowned, thinking, and cast you a worried look.

You waved him off. "I'll be fine! I walk alone all the time. Today's not going to be any different."

"But—" He stopped. "No, wait. I have an idea." Ruffling through his things, he fished out a cellphone. "Let's exchange numbers. You can text me when you get back home."

Your heart skipped a beat. "O-okay."

He tapped your nose with his phone. Your face grew hotter as his grin widened. "Or call me if you're trouble. I'll come running like woosh and wah and go cha-cha-cha-bam!"

You replayed the words in your head all the way home.

The moment you crashed into the safe confines of your room (a.k.a. no family to question what madness you were up to this time), you sent him a text. 'I'm home, with all my limbs intact!'

Then you waited, feet dangling on the edge of your bed. One second, two, three...

_Ding!_

My Muse: 'Great! Have a good night!'  
My Muse: 'I'll see you tomorrow~'

As your head landed on your pillow, you clutched your phone to your chest and grinned.


	15. operation awareness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i didn't expect to be swamped with school work these past few months but _boy_ was i wrong.
> 
> as i said in the last chapter, there's a time skip in this one, mostly because at this point, a lot of the in-story days are going to span multiple chapters. but that's where all the fun is!
> 
> hope you enjoy~

One week. That's how much time had passed since your teacher assigned the art assignment. In other words, seven days since you've met Yuchan. One hundred and sixty-eight hours since your thoughts were filled with sunshine. One thousand and eight minutes since your heart walked amongst rainbows and cumulus clouds.

Also: three days since Seoyeon started giving you strange looks.

About what, you didn't know. But she was waiting for you to confess a crime you didn't remember committing.

Copying the last notes on the chalkboard—school ended a minute ago, and you were scrambling to write down the rest of the homework in the margins of your book—you felt an ominous shadow fall over you.

You began to sweat.

Was it because of the choco bun you took from her the other day? Or the time you stepped on the back of her foot as you were walking down the corridor? Or...wait, did she send you a text that you accidentally ignored?!

Gritting your teeth, you surprised her as you stood up, chair sliding with a screech. "Take me, Reaper! I do not fear thee! My mortality transcends even the darkest of abysses!"

She looked unamused. "What nonsense are you spouting out this time?"

You flung your arms skyward. "Come, my maker, for the throes of passing is what beautifies existence! Mankind does not falter, persevering even at the face of demise. Only the weak fear the beyond! I spit at thee! I shan't succumb—!"

Relax. I'm not going to kill you." She rubbed the bridge of her nose and muttered, "Yet, anyway."

"What use is prolonging the wait? Take me; resistance is futile."

Her eyebrow rose. "Fine, I'll say it straight: do you like Kang Yuchan?"

You frowned. "What kind of question is that?"

"Just answer me."

"I thought it was very, very obvious I liked him." Forehead creasing, your confusion grew. You didn't know where she was going with this. "He's nice and handsome and wonderful. I've been gushing over him for the past week."

"Yeah," she said, "but do you _like_ him?"

For some reason, your heart twittered. Maybe in fear—Seoyeon was looking far too serious for her own good. But the emphasis echoed in your ears. "I like a lot of people. I like you."

She studied you, eyes searching yours. Oddly nervous, you looked away. Blood pumped to your neck, skin much too hot and hands much too clammy for your own comfort.

Was it that weird to be happy around him? He made you all light and fluffy, like melted cotton candy, soap suds, large marshmallows, oversized sweaters. Pastels and flowers and band aids with cute mascots.

But that didn't mean you liked him like...that.

(Right?)

You shook out of your thoughts. "He's just a friend," you said with (little) confidence.

At that, Seoyeon smiled—an honest-to-goodness toothy smile. "Then what am I?"

"My...other friend."

"And there's no difference between how you feel about me and him?"

"There shouldn't be." She stared at you. "Maybe." She stared harder. "I think?"

"How long do you have until your assignment's due?"

That was an abrupt subject change if you knew one. "A week and three days." Which, you had to admit, made you feel things. Mostly stressed (because the deadline was fast approaching and you still had nothing), but also somehow sad (because...you know what? you didn't even know why).

"Ten days, hm?" This was the second time Seoyeon had smiled in a minute. It was terrifying. "That should be enough."

You didn't want to ask. But you didn't have to.

"Cancel all your plans today," she said. "We're going shopping."


End file.
